Showcase

ABSTRACT

A showcase designed to simultaneously store commodities to be cooled at different temperatures has a showcase body having an opening at least in its front, a commodity storage section provided in the showcase body, a first air passage having an air inlet at a lower end of the opening, a blower for causing air to flow from the air inlet into the first air passage, a cooler for cooling the air flowing into the first air passage, a plurality of second air passages formed so as to branch off from the first air passage and extend toward the opening, each second air passage having an air outlet at its end, and a flow rate adjustment mechanism for adjusting the flow rates of air flowing from the first air passage into at least one of the second air passages, whereby the flow rates of air flowing into the second air passages are respectively adjusted to different values.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a showcase installed in a store such as a supermarket or a convenience store.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional showcase of this kind is known which has a showcase body having an opening at least in its front, a commodity storage section provided in the showcase body, a first air passage having an air inlet at a lower end of the opening, a blower for causing air to flow from the air inlet into the first air passage, a cooler for cooling the air flowing into the first air passage, and a plurality of second air passages formed so as to branch off from the first air passage and extend toward the opening, each second air passage having an air outlet at its end.

In the conventional showcase, each of the flow rates of air flowing from the first air passage to the second air passages cannot be changed. Therefore, different cooling temperatures cannot be set for different portions of the commodity storage section by adjustment of the amounts of air let out through the air outlets of the second air passages. For example, in a case where commodities such as chilled food and a packed lunch to be cooled at different temperatures are sold, showcases having different cooling temperatures are required. It is, therefore, difficult to sell a various kinds of commodity in a store of a small sale room area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a showcase capable of simultaneously storing commodities to be cooled at different temperatures.

To achieve the above-described object, according to the present invention, there is provided a showcase including a showcase body having an opening at least in its front, a commodity storage section provided in the showcase body, a first air passage having an air inlet at a lower end of the opening, a blower for causing air to flow from the air inlet into the first air passage, a cooler for cooling the air flowing into the first air passage, a plurality of second air passages formed so as to branch off from the first air passage and extend toward the opening, each second air passage having an air outlet at its end, and a flow rate adjustment mechanism for adjusting the flow rates of air flowing from the first air passage into at least one of the second air passages.

This arrangement enables the flow rates of air flowing into the second air passages to be respectively adjusted to different values and thereby enables setting of different cooling temperatures for different portions of the commodity storage section, so that commodities such as chilled food and a packed lunch to be cooled at different temperatures can be simultaneously stored in the commodity storage section.

The above-described and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the whole of a showcase which represents an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional front view of the showcase;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the showcase;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an essential portion of the showcase, showing the operation of a damper;

FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the essential portion of the showcase, showing the operation of the damper;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another example the essential portion of the showcase; and

FIG. 7 is another perspective view of the another example the essential portion of the showcase.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This showcase has a showcase body 10 having openings at its front side, rear side and left or right side, and a duct 20 formed in the showcase body 10.

The showcase body 10 has a lower case 11 in the form of a box opened at its top, a ceiling plate 12 provided as a top cover, and a side plate 13 provided as a left or right side cover.

The lower case 11 is formed by heat insulating walls 11 a at its font, rear and bottom sides and right or left side and by the side plate 13 at the left or right side. The top opening of the lower case 11 is covered with a bottom plate 11 b placed at a distance from a bottom surface in the lower case 11 formed by the heat insulating wall 11 a. Glass plates 11 c are provided on upper-end peripheral portions of the lower case 11 except at the side plate 13 side so as to extend upward, so that the bottom plate 11 b is visible in a sideway direction from the outside. A machine chamber 11 d is provided under the lower case 11. A pieces of refrigeration equipment such as a compressor, a condenser and a condenser blower (not shown) are housed in the machine chamber 11 d.

The ceiling plate 12 is a member in the form of a plate having a heat insulating property. The ceiling plate 12 is supported by an upper end of the side plate 13 and a supporting column 14 extending upward from a position closer to an end of the lower case 11 in the widthwise direction and generally at a center in the font-rear direction. A commodity storage section 15 is formed between the bottom plate 11 b and the ceiling plate 12. A pair of upper and lower commodity shelves 15 a are mounted in the commodity storage section 15. Commodities are placed on upper surfaces of the bottom plate 11 b and the commodity shelves 15 a.

An air passage 20 includes a bottom-side air passage 21 formed as a first air passage between the bottom surface in the lower case 11 and the bottom plate 11 b, a side air passage 22 formed as a first air passage so as to extend upward along the side plate 13, an upper commodity cooling air passage 23 formed as a second air passage along a lower surface of the ceiling plate 12, a lower commodity cooling air passage 24 formed as a second air passage along a lower surface of the lower commodity shelf 15 a, and a side commodity cooling air passage 25 formed in the supporting column 14.

The bottom-side air passage 21 is partitioned into a first bottom-side air passage 21 a formed along the heat insulating walls 11 a at the front side, rear side and right or left side, a second bottom-side air passage 21 b formed in a lower section except at the first bottom-side air passage 21 a, and a third bottom-side air passage 21 c formed above the second bottom-side air passage 21 b. A cooler 26 is provided in the third bottom-side air passage 21 c closer to the left or right side, and a cooler blower 27 is provided at one side of the cooler 26 closer to the right or left side of the showcase body 10.

The first bottom-side air passage 21 a communicates with the commodity storage section 15 through air inlets 21 d provided between the heat insulating walls 11 a and the bottom plate 11 b, and also communicates with the second bottom-side air passage 21 b through a plurality of communication holes 21 f formed in a partition plate 21 e between the first bottom-side air passage 21 a and the second bottom-side air passage 21 b. The second bottom-side air passage 21 b communicates with the first bottom-side air passage 21 a through the communication holes 21 f and with the third bottom-side air passage 21 c through a communication hole 21 g provided below the cooler blower 27. The third bottom-side air passage 21 c communicates with the second bottom-side air passage 21 b through the communication hole 21 g and with the side air passage 22 at its one side.

The side air passage 22 is provided between the side plate 13 and a duct member 22 a formed so as to be U-shaped in section and extending vertically, and communicates with the upper commodity cooling air passage 23 and with the lower commodity cooling air passage 24. The side air passage 22 communicates with the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 through three communication holes 22 b provided in the duct member 22 a at certain intervals in the widthwise direction. Of the communication holes 22 b, the communication holes 22 b at the opposite sides in the widthwise direction are opened/closed by a damper 22 c provided as a closing plate in the side air passage 22.

The damper 22 c is formed of a member in the form of a plate formed into a U-shape and is supported by fixing members 22 e such as thumbscrews through elongated holes 22 d formed in the duct member 22 a so as to extend vertically, the damper 22 c being vertically movable in a range corresponding to the elongated holes 22 d. The communication holes 22 b at the opposite sides in the widthwise direction is closed by fixing the damper 22 c with the fixing members 22 e positioned at the upper ends of the elongated holes 22 d and is opened by fixing the damper 22 c with the fixing members 22 e positioned at the lower ends of the elongated holes 22 d.

The upper commodity cooling air passage 23 is formed so as to extend along the lower surface of the ceiling plate 12 from the left or right side to the right or left side. The upper commodity cooling air passage 23 has air outlets 23 a at its ends at the front side, rear side and left or right side.

The lower commodity cooling air passage 24 is formed so as to extend along the lower surface of the lower commodity shelf 15 a from the left or right side to the right or left side. The lower commodity cooling air passage 24 has air outlets 24 a at its ends at the front and rear sides. Further, an end of the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 at the left or right side communicates with the side commodity cooling air passage 25.

The side commodity cooling air passage 25 is formed so as to extend vertically in the supporting column 14, and has a plurality of air outlet holes 25 a at the left or right side.

In the showcase constructed as described above, air drawn from the air inlets 21 d at the lower ends of the openings at the front side, rear side and left or right side into the first bottom-side air passage 21 a by the cooler blower 27 flows into the bottom-side air passage 21 c via the second bottom-side air passage 21 b and is cooled by the cooler 26. The air cooled by the cooler 26 diverges from the side air passage 22 into the upper commodity cooling air passage 23 and into the lower commodity cooling air passage 24. The air flowing into the upper commodity cooling air passage 23 flows out through the air outlets 23 a. Part of the air flowing into the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 is let out through the air outlets 24 a at the front and rear sides, while the other part of the air flows into the side commodity cooling air passage 25 to be let out through the air outlet holes 25 a to the left or right side. The commodity storage section 15 is thereby cooled to maintain commodities placed on the commodity shelves 15 a and the bottom plate 11 b in a cooled state.

When the damper 22 c provided on the duct member 22 a is at the lower position, all the three communication holes 22 b for communication between the side air passage 22 and the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 are opened, as shown in FIG. 4. In this situation, the commodity storage section 15 is cooled at generally constant temperatures by air flowing through the upper commodity cooling air passage 23 and the lower commodity cooling air passage 24.

When the damper 22 c is at the higher position, the communication holes 22 b at the opposite sides are closed and only the central communication hole 22 b is opened, as shown in FIG. 5. The flow rate of air flowing into the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 and let out through the air outlets 24 a is thereby reduced. In this way, the temperature at which a lower portion (on the bottom plate 11 b) of the commodity storage section 15 is cooled can be set higher than that at which an upper portion (on each commodity shelf 15 a) of the commodity storage section 15 is cooled.

Thus, in the showcase of this embodiment, the flow rate of air flowing from the side air passage 22 into the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 can be adjusted and the flow rate of air flowing into the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 and let out through the air outlets 24 a can be reduced relative to the flow rate of air flowing into the upper commodity cooling air passage 23 and let out through the air outlets 23 a to increase the temperature at which the lower portion of the commodity storage section 15 is cooled relative to the temperature at which the upper portion of the commodity storage section 15 is cooled, so that commodities to be cooled at different temperatures, e.g., chilled food and a packed lunch can be simultaneously stored in the commodity storage section 15.

Communication is provided between the side air passage 22 and the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 by means of the three communication holes 22 b provided in the duct member 22 a at intervals in the widthwise direction, and the communication holes 22 b at the opposite sides are opened/closed by the damper 22 c vertically movably provided on the duct member 22 a. Thus, the flow rate of air flowing from the side air passage 22 into the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 can be changed by the device having a simple construction, and the showcase can be manufactured at a limited cost.

The communication holes 22 b at the opposite sides in the widthwise direction are opened/closed by moving the damper 22 c in the opening/closing direction. The communication holes 22 b can be opened/closed without removing/attaching the damper 22 c. Thus, the operation for opening/closing communication holes 22 b can be easily performed.

The damper 22 c is moved in the communication hole 22 b opening/closing direction by means of the elongated holes 22 d provided in the duct member 22 a and the fixing members 22 e connected to the damper 22 c by being passed through the elongated holes 22 d. The communication holes 22 b can be opened/closed by the device simple in construction. Thus, the operability of the communication hole 22 b opening/closing operation can be improved while limiting the manufacturing cost.

The embodiment has been described with respect to the arrangement in which communication is provided between the side air passage 22 and the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 by the three communication holes 22 b provided in the duct member 22 a at intervals in the widthwise direction, and in which the communication holes 22 b at the opposite sides are opened/closed by the damper 22 c vertically movably provided on the duct member 22 a. However, a different arrangement is also conceivable in which, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, communication is provided between the side air passage 22 and the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 by one communication hole 22 f provided in the duct member 22 a so as to extend in the widthwise direction and a portion of the communication hole 22 f is opened/closed by the damper 22 c vertically movably provided on the duct member 22 a. The same advantages as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained by using such an arrangement. In this case, the flow rate of air let out to flow into the commodity storage section 15 can be freely set by changing the opening ratio of the communication hole 22 f.

While the embodiment has been described with respect to the arrangement in which communication is provided only between the side air passage 22 and the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 and in which the communication holes 22 b are opened/closed by the damper 22 c, communication may be provided between the side air passage 22 and the upper commodity cooling air passage 23 by at least one communication hole as well as between the side air passage 22 and the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 and the communication hole may be opened/closed by a damper. In such a case, the flow rate of air flowing into the upper commodity cooling air passage 23 and the flow rate of air flowing into the lower commodity cooling air passage 24 can be respectively adjusted and the temperatures in the upper and lower portions of the commodity storage section 15 can be respectively set more reliably.

The preferred embodiment described in this specification is not limitative but illustrative of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined in the appended claims, and all modifications within the meanings of the claims are included in the present invention. 

1. A showcase comprising: a showcase body having an opening at least in its front; a commodity storage section provided in the showcase body; a first air passage having an air inlet at a lower end of the opening; a blower for causing air to flow from the air inlet into the first air passage; a cooler for cooling the air flowing into the first air passage; a plurality of second air passages formed so as to branch off from the first air passage and extend toward the opening, each second air passage having an air outlet at its end; and a flow rate adjustment mechanism for adjusting the flow rates of air flowing from the first air passage into at least one of the second air passages.
 2. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein: the flow rate adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of communication holes for communication between the first air passage and the second air passage, and a closing plate for closing part of the plurality of communication holes.
 3. The showcase according to claim 2, further comprising: a communication hole opening/closing mechanism for moving the closing plate in a direction for closing part of the communication holes and in a direction for opening the part of the communication holes.
 4. The showcase according to claim 3, wherein: the communication hole opening/closing mechanism includes an elongated hole provided in a member forming the first air passage, and a fixing member connected to the closing plate through the elongated hole and capable of being fixed at a predetermined position in the elongated hole to fix the closing plate at a predetermined position.
 5. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein: the flow rate adjustment mechanism includes at least one communication hole for communication between the first air passage and the second air passage, and a closing plate for closing at least part of the communication hole.
 6. The showcase according to claim 5, further comprising: a communication hole opening/closing mechanism for moving the closing plate in a direction for closing the communication hole and in a direction for opening the communication hole.
 7. The showcase according to claim 6, wherein: the communication hole opening/closing mechanism includes an elongated hole provided in a member forming the first air passage, and a fixing member connected to the closing plate through the elongated hole and capable of being fixed at a predetermined position in the elongated hole to fix the closing plate at a predetermined position. 